Villa and Abarca fled Iguala shortly after the 43 students, who were studying at the Ayotzinapa Teacher Training College, went missing from the city following a protest they had staged against what they saw as an unfair hiring process for teachers in the country, which favoured urban candidates over rural ones.

It is believed that the students were abducted by corrupt police and handed over to Guerrero Unidos upon instructions from Abarca, who feared the students' protest could disrupt an event being held by his wife.

Demonstrators burn a picture of Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto. The case of the 43 missing students have ignited protests throughout Mexico with hundreds urging the president to step down(Reuters)

The case of the missing students ignited protests, which sometimes turned violent, throughout the country with thousands urging the government to eradicate corruption.